the Triple Jewel: Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha The word Buddha is a Sanskrit word which means "The Awakened One", one who is awakened to Reality, who understands true nature of the mind, the world, and all sentient beings. The Buddha lived approximately 3000 years ago (some say 2500). He was an Indian prince named Siddhartha, who gave up his throne in order to search for the Truth, to find a way to bring relief to the sufferings of humanity. After many years of diligent practice, he reached Supreme Enlightenment while sitting under a bodhi tree. He then exclaimed, "Wonder of wonders! All sentient beings are inherently complete and perfect! But they do not realize it because of their delusions and cravings." There upon He was known as Sakyamuni (or Gautama) Buddha, and embarked on an endless, compassionate journey to teach living beings how to see Reality, how to gain true wisdom, how to free themselves, and how to achieve true peace and joy. His teaching is known as the Dharma. The Buddha taught for 49 years until he entered nirvana at the age of 80.

Many disciples of the Buddha, following the Buddha's example, renounced the home life to devote their lives to the practice of Enlightenment, to the gaining of wisdom that can transcend suffering, and to teach other sentient beings the same. They formed the ordained community of Buddhist monks and nuns known as the Sangha. Sangha means "harmony" or "harmonious assembly". The Sangha is responsible for practicing, achieving, preserving, and propagating the Buddha Dharma. Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha are called the Triple Jewel. Buddhist Ideal Buddhists believe that everyone can become a Buddha. Being a Buddha means being Awakened, free from delusions and sufferings, and perfect in wisdom and compassion To be Awakened means to see Reality as it is, not as we think it is. To see Reality is to gain true wisdom and this wisdom will free us. We are not trapped by external conditions, but by our misperceptions and prejudices. Whatever we do, our actions create reactions that come back to affect us. Because of this, we are responsible for our own actions. Also because of this, we are responsible for our own salvation.

And exactly because of this, each one of us is capable of achieving Perfection. We just need to know how. The Dharma teaches us how. There are many ways of practice, many "Dharma gates" to achieve Enlightenment, and they all fall into these general categories: performing good deeds, meditation, and studying the Dharma. . • Excerpts from a talk given by Ven. Jian Hu. To view the entirety of article Introduction to Buddhism from the section of Dharma Gems-Dharma Lectures. glossary of mystic terms Glossary mystical terms and metaphors Ahamkara - the sense of 'I', often translated as 'ego', considered the main stumbling block to Self Knowledge.

[Sanskrit] Ajna - the third eye chakra, located mid-forehead [Sanskrit] Anahata - the heart chakra, root of all emotions [Sanskrit] Anand - bliss [Sanskrit] Anapanasati - mindfulness while breathing in and out [Pali] Atman - individual soul [Sanskrit] Arahat - a free being, a fully awakened one [Sanskrit] Ashram - a place where spiritual disciplines are taught and practiced Aura - a non-physical energy field around living things Bodhi - supreme wisdom [Sanskrit] Bodhisattva - someone seeking enlightenment [Sanskrit] Bardo - 'in-between state' refers to the state between death and rebirth [Tibetan] Bhakti - A spiritual movement from the 7th to 18th century that maintained devotion to God was the sole means of salvation. It also called for the end of the caste system, insisting all people were equal. It became a popular movement with the common people as it removed a great burden placed on them by the religious class.

The poets of the bhakti movement wrote in their individual languages, as opposed to Sanskrit, which made their work more accessible. It had a profound effect on the culture of India. bodhicitta - the awakened heartmind [Sanskrit] Buddha - the Enlightened one chakra - circle, energy center [Sanskrit] Ch'i - central Taoist idea meaning "breathing, energy". The Ch'i is an individual's vital force and, at the same time, a universal energy connecting all in one field of unbroken energy. Christ - the Anointed one Chidakasha - (awareness matrix) that which contains all that is, all that has been and all that ever will be [Sanskrit] Chit - consciousness [Sanskrit] Dervish - (poor) someone who lives a life of poverty and tries to minimize their bodily functions in order to release their souls from the physical compulsions.

Dharma - spiritual teachings, spiritual path, actions in harmony with truth [Sanskrit] Dhyana - meditation [Sanskrit] Divine Mother - God as Mother Entelechy - the vital force that compels one toward self-fulfillment [Aristotle] Guru - (darkness to light) spiritual master Heer and Ranjha is a famous Pakistani love story; it has been compared to the immortal tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Their families feuded, keeping them apart. After many years of heartache they were allowed to wed, but on their wedding day, the beautiful Heer is poisoned by a vengeful Uncle. Ranjha holds her in his arms until he dies of a broken heart. Japa - repeating the name of God [Sanskrit] Jnana Yoga - the path of wisdom Kaaba - (cube) the sanctuary in Mecca containing the Black Stone, where Muslim turn to pray. kabir - great one [Arabic] Khamush - (silent) often used by Rumi in his poems; about five hundred odes end with 'khamush'. It is believed that Rumi is referring to the silent contemplation that leads to Self Knowledge.

Karma - (action) the law of cause and effect, the consequence of ones thoughts, words, and deeds [Sanskrit] Llama - spiritual teacher [Tibetan] Maitreya - the future Buddha Mandala - (circle) a geometric design used as an aid to focus the mind Mantra - a sacred word or phrase repeated to focus the mind [Sanskrit] Masnavi - a term referring to a rhymed verse couplet. [Persian] Rumi's work of this title has been referred to as 'the Persian Koran'.

Meditation - focusing one-pointedly on an object Mevlana - "The Master" Mindfulness - here-now awareness, purposeful attention Nama Japa - constantly remembering the true Name of God [Sanskrit] Namaste - 'I bow to the divine in you' [Sanskrit] Nirvana - the place beyond suffering [Sanskrit] Om/Aum - considered a sacred sound, symbolic of God's first thought Pho wa - the practice of consciously leaving the body at time of death [Tibetan] Prana - the vital energy [Sanskrit] Pranayama - focusing on the breath [Sanskrit] Purusha - the indwelling Spirit, the silent witness [Sanskrit] Quran - (recitation) the "recitation" of God's word to Muhammad Raja Yoga - the kingly path Rigpa - the knowing state, pure awareness [Tibetan] Samadhi - a deep meditative state with one-pointed mind [Sanskrit] Sadhana - Spiritual practice, discipline [Sanskrit] Sahasrara - the crown chakra Samsara - false understanding, believing the unreal to be real and the real to be unreal [Sansk

rit] Sat - Truth [Sanskrit] Shinto - 'the Way of the Gods' (Japan) sikh - 'disciple' Siddhi - a special power gained in meditation, considered an obstacle if indulged [Sanskrit] Sutra - (thread) rule, guideline of life [Sanskrit] Tantra - transforming human energy [Sanskrit] T'ai-chi - literally it means "the beam sustaining the roof".

The first fundamental principle of reality that produced the two opposing principles and thus all others. Tao - a basic Taoist concept literally meaning: "the way". Vedanta - one of six classical systems of Indian philosophy Vedas - (knowledge) the basic scriptures of the Hindus Vidya - (view) spiritual vision [Sanskrit] Wahdat al-Wujud - God is the ground of all being. The only truth within the universe is God, and that all things exist within God alone. (Sufi) Zendo - 'ashram' [Japanese] yang - the masculine aspect of the universe [Chinese] yin - the feminine aspect of the universe [Chinese] Yin-yang - opposing principles, a manifestation of tai-chi, that create, sustain, and dissolve through the power of opposition, interaction, and attraction. The FOUR LEVELS OF FRIENDSHIP - there are four levels of friendship: Aashenaa, to know someone casually. Doost, a close friend. Rafeegh, your best friend. And the highest form of intimacy is Yaar, meaning ones inseparable lover. A Yaar- relationship may include physical relations or it may be platonic.

For the mystic, the wish is to have the deepest intimacy with God, the Beloved, the level of Yaar. [Persian] Sanskrit for "awakened one" - Crossword Clue Answer | Crossword Heaven LA Times - October 06, 2010 Netword - June 19, 2010 Found an answer for the clue Sanskrit for "awakened one" that we don't have? Then please submit it to us so we can make the clue database even better! List of English words of Sanskrit origin List of English words of Sanskrit origin This text from Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License , additional terms may apply. See Terms of Use for details. Wikipediaï¿½ is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. , a non-profit organization. This is a list of English words of Sanskrit origin. Many of these words were not directly borrowed from Sanskrit. The meanings of some words have changed slightly after being borrowed.

A Afghanistan "Land of the Afghans"; from Arabic: Afġān (افغان) via Prakit: Avagānā (आभगन) which is derived from the Sanskrit tribal name Aśvaka (अश्वक) meaning "horseman", as the country was noted for its fine breed of horses; and the Persian suffix ـستان -stan meaning "land". This name was used in reference to the Kambojas in antiquity. Ahimsa from Sanskrit अहिंसा ahimsā, which means "not-harmful". Ambarella through Sinhalese: ඇඹරැල්ලා ultimately from Sanskrit: अम्बरेल्ला, a kind of tree. Amrita from Sanskrit अमृतम् amrtam, nectar of everlasting life. (see Ambrosia) Aniline through German: Anilin, French: Aniline and Portuguese: Anil from Arabic النيل al-nili and Persian نیلا nila, ultimately from Sanskrit नीली nili.

Aryan from Latin Ariana, from Greek Ἀρεία Areia, ultimately from Sanskrit आर्य Arya-s "noble, honorable". Asana from Sanskrit आसन āsanam which means "seat", a term describing yoga postures. Ashram ultimately from Sanskrit आश्रम āsramah, a religious hermitage. Atoll through Maldivean:އަތޮޅު probably ultimately from Sanskrit अंतला antala. Aubergine from Catalan alberginera, via Arabic (باذِنْجان al-badinjan) and Persian (بادنجان badin-gan) ultimately from Sanskrit वातिगगम vātinganah, meaning eggplant. Avatar from Sanskrit अवतार avataara, which means "descent", an refers to the human incarnation of God during times of distress on earth. Thus, Krishna and Rāma were both avataars of Vishnu, who also manifested himself as an avatar many other times to make a total of ten.

Ayurveda from Sanskrit आयुर्वेद āyurvedah, which means "knowledge of life". B from Sanskrit बन्धन bandhan, "a bond". Banyan from Hindi baniyaa ultimately from Sanskrit वणिज्‌ waNij, which means "a merchant". Basmati through Hindi बासमती ultimately from Sanskrit वास vāsah. Bahuvrihi from Sanskrit बहुव्रीहि bahuvrīhih, a composite word, meaning 'much rice.' Beryl from Old French beryl, via Latin beryllus, Greek βήρυλλος and Prakrit वेलुरिय (veluriya) ultimately from Sanskrit वैडूर्य vaidurya-, of Dravidian origin, maybe from the name of Belur. Bhakti from Sanskrit भक्ति bhakti, which means "loyalty".

Bhang from Hindi भांग bhang, which is from Sanskrit भङ्ग bhanga "hemp". Bidi through Hindi बीड़ी ultimately from Sanskrit वितिकम vitikam. Brahmin from Sanskrit ब्रIह्मण brahmana-s, from brahman. Brinjal from Persian بادنجان badingān, probably from Sanskrit भण्टाकी vātingana. Buddha from Sanskrit बुद्ध buddha, which means "awakened, enligtened", refers to Siddhartha Gautama, founder of Buddhism Also refers to one who is enlightened in accordance with the teachings of Buddha or a likeness of Buddha C A cheetah. Cambodia via Khmer ប្រទេសកម្ពុជា Kï¿½mpŭchea; ultimately from Sanskrit: Kambujadesa (कम्बोजदेश; land of Kambuja).

Candy from Old French sucre candi, via Arabic: قندي qandi and Persian: قند qand probably ultimately from Sanskrit खुड् khanda "piece of sugar", perhaps from Dravidian. Carmine from French carmin, via Middle Latin from Arabic: قرمز qirmiz "crimson", which is from Sanskrit क्रिमिगा krimiga. Cash from Portuguese caixa, from Sinhalese කසි kasi, Tamil காசு kacu, which is from Sanskrit कर्ष karsha, a weight of gold or silver; this is the proper noun related with the miscellaneous coins of small value, common noun "cash" is not of Sanskrit origin. Cashmere from Kashmir, the Himalayan region where this wool is from. The name Kashmere is derived from Ka (का; "water") and shimir (शिमिरि; "to desiccate").

Chador through Urdu چادر čï¿½dor and Persian چادر čï¿½dar "tent, mantle, scarf, veil, sheet, table-cloth"; ultimately from Sanskrit छत्त्रम् chattram. Chakra from Sanskrit चक्रं cakra, which means "a circle, a wheel". Champac through Hindi काम्पक ultimately from Sanskrit काम्पका campaka, an evergreen tree. Cheetah from Hindi चिता chita "a leopard", from Sanskrit चित्राका chitraka, which means "speckled". China via Latin Sina, Persian چین Cin, and Sanskrit चीन Chinas; ultimately derived from the name of the Qin Dynasty (秦). Chintz from Hindi छींट chint, which is from Sanskrit चित्रस chitra-s "clear, bright". Chit from Hindi चिट्ठी chitthi "a letter, note", which is from Sanskrit चित्रस chitra-s "uniquely marked".

Chuddar through Urdu چادر ultimately from Sanskrit छत्त्रम् chattram. Chukar via Hindi काकोर cakor and Urdu چکور chukar ultimately from Sanskrit चकोर cakorah. Chukker from Hindi चक्कर chakkar, from Sanskrit चक्र cakra, "a circle, a wheel". Citipati from Sanskrit चिति पति citi-pati, which means "a funeral pyre lord". Cot from Hindi ख़त khat "a couch", which is from Sanskrit खट्वा khatva. Cowrie from Hindi कुरी kauri and Urdu کمتدب kauri, from Marathi कवडइ kavadi, which is ultimately from Sanskrit कपर्द kaparda.

Crimson from Old Spanish cremesin, via Middle Latin cremesinus from Arabic قرمز qirmiz "a kermes", which is ultimately from Sanskrit कृमिज krmi-ja literally: "red dye produced by a worm." D Dahl through Hindi दल dāl ultimately from Sanskrit दलह dalah, meaning cotyledon of a pea pod, a type of Indian food, also refers to lentil in the US. Das from Sanskrit दासा daasa, a slave or servant. Datura through Latin and Hindi: धतूरा dhatūra "jimson weed" ultimately from Sanskrit धत्तुरह dhattūrāh, a kind of flowering plant. Deodar through Hindi दोदर deodār ultimately from Sanskrit देवदारु devadāru, a kind of tree. Deva from Sanskrit देवी deva, which means "a god", akin to Latin deus, "god". Devi from Sanskrit देवी devi, which means "a goddess".

Dharma from Pali धम्म dhamma and Sanskrit: धर्म, which means "law, justice". Dhoti through Hindi: धोती ultimately from Sanskrit धुनोति dhūnoti, traditional garment of men's wear in India. Dinghy from Hindi दिन्गी dingi "a tiny boat", probably from Sanskrit द्रोणम drona-m. E from Arabic: فلافل‎, perhaps ultimately from Sanskrit पिप्पल pippalī. G Ganja via Hindi गज "Elephant bull" ultimately from Sanskrit गांजा gāï¿½jā, which means "of hemp". Gaur via Hindi गौर "consider" ultimately from Sanskrit गौरह gaurah. Gavial through French and Hindi घड़ियाल ghariyāl ultimately from Sanskrit घंतिक ghantikah, a kind of crocodile.

Gayal perhaps ultimately from Sanskrit गौह gauh via Bengali গযল্, a kind of animal. Gharry perhaps finally from Sanskrit गर्त gartah via Hindi: गाड़ी, a kind of vehicle. Ghee through Hindi: घी ultimately from Sanskrit: घृतं ghritam. Guar through Hindi गार ultimately from Sanskrit गॊपलि gopālī, an annual legume. Gunny via Hindi गोनी ultimately from Sanskrit गोणी goni "sack". Gurkha via Nepalese गोर्खा ultimately from Sanskrit गोरक्साह goraksah, "a cowherd". Guru via Hindi गुरु ultimately from Sanskrit गुरु guru-s, which means "a teacher". H Hanuman through Hindi हनुमान from Sanskrit Hanuman (हनुमान्), a kind of small monkey, Hindu mythological God.

Hare Krishna from Sanskrit Hare (हरि) and Krishna (कृष्ण). Himalaya from Sanskrit हिमालय himalayah, which means "place of snow". Hindi from Hindi हिंद Hind, via Persian: هندو Hindu "Sind" ultimately from Sanskrit सिन्धु sindhu, which means "a river". I J Jackal from Turkish ï¿½akal, from Persian شغال shaghal, from Middle Indic shagal, ultimately from Sanskrit सृगाल srgalah "the howler". Jaggery via Portuguese jï¿½gara, jagre and Malayalam ഛക്കര chakkara perhaps ultimately from Sanskrit शर्करा sarkara. Jungle through Hindi जंगल jangal "a desert, forest" ultimately from Sanskrit जंगल jangala-s, which means "arid". Juggernaut through Hindi जगन्नाथ jagannath ultimately from Sanskrit जगन्नाथ jagat-natha-s, which means "lord of the world".

Jute via Bengali পাট jhuto ultimately from Sanskrit जुतास juta-s, which means "twisted hair". K from Sanskrit कर्म karman, which means "work, fate". Kedgeree probably ultimately from Sanskrit कृशर krśara. Kermes via French: Kermï¿½s, Arabic: قرمز qirmiz and Persian قرمز qermez; perhaps ultimately from Sanskrit: कृमिज kṛmija meaning "worm-made." Kos through Hindi कोस kos ultimately from Sanskrit रोस krosah, which means "a call, a shout". Krait through Hindi करैत karait probably ultimately from Sanskrit: काराइट, a kind of snake. L Lac through Urdu لاکھ, Persian لاک and Hindi लाख lakh from Prakrit लक्ख lakkha, ultimately from Sanskrit लक्षं laksha. Lacquer through French: Laque and Portuguese: Laca from Arabic لك lakk, via Prakrit ultimately from Sanskrit लक्षं laksha.

Langur through Hindi लुट lut probably ultimately from Sanskrit लंगुलम langūlam. Lilac via Arabic للك lilak from Persian نیلک nilak meaning "bluish", ultimately from Sanskrit नील nila, which means "dark blue". Loot ultimately from Sanskrit लुण्टा lota-m or लून्त्ति luṇṭhati meaning "he steals" through Hindi लूट lūṭ, which means "a booty, stolen thing". M Maharajah through Hindi महाराजा ultimately from Sanskrit महा राजन् maha-rājān, which means "a great king". Maharani through Hindi महारानी finally from Sanskrit महा रानी mahārājnī, which means "consort of a maharajah". Maharishi from Sanskrit महर्षि maha-rishi, which means "a great sage". Mahatma from Sanskrit महात्मा mahatman, which means "a great breath, soul".

Mahayana from Sanskrit महायान maha-yana, which means "a great vehicle". Mahout via Hindi माहुत (variant of महावत) ultimately from Sanskrit महमत्रह् mahāmātrah. Mandala from Sanskrit मण्डल mandala, which means "a disc, circle". Mandarin via Portuguese mandarim, Dutch mandorijn, Malay mantri, and Hindi मंत्री mantri "a councillor" ultimately from Sanskrit मन्त्रिन् mantri, which means "an advisor". Mantra from Sanskrit मन्त्र mantra-s which means "a holy message or text". Maya from Sanskrit माया māyā, a religious term related with illusion. Meerkat from Dutch meerkat "monkey" (literally: "lake cat"), or probably through Hindi मरकत markat ultimately from Sanskrit मर्कट markata meaning "an ape". Mithras from Sanskrit मित्र Mitrah, which means "a friend".

Moksha from Sanskrit मोक्ष moksha, liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth. Mugger via Hindi मगर and Urdu مگر magar ultimately from Sanskrit मकर makara ("sea creature"), like a crocodile, which attacks stealthily. Mung bean through Hindi मुग mū̃g and Pali/Prakrit मुग्ग mugga ultimately from Sanskrit मुग्दह् mudgah, a kind of bean. Musk via Middle English Muske, Middle French Musc, Late Latin Muscus and Late Greek μόσχος moskhos from Persian موشک mushk, ultimately from Sanskrit मुस्कस् muska-s meaning "a testicle", from a diminutive of मुस mus ("mouse").[96] Mynah through Hindi मैना maina ultimately from Sanskrit मदन madana-s, which means "love".

N Nainsook through Hindi नैनसुख nainsukh and Urdu نینسوکھ ultimately from Sanskrit नयनम्सुख् nayanam-sukh, a kind of fabric. Namaste through Hindi ultimately from Sanskrit नमस्ते namas-te, which means "I bow to you". Nard through Old French narde and Latin nardus from Greek νάρδος nardos, perhaps ultimately from Sanskrit णलदम् naladam. Narghile through French Narguilï¿½ and Persian نارگيله nārghīleh ultimately from Sanskrit नारिकेला nārikelah. Nark probably from Romany nak "a nose", via Hindi नक् nak ultimately from Sanskrit नक्र‌ nakra. Neem through Hindi निम् nīm ultimately from Sanskrit निम्बह् nimbah, a kind of tree.

Nilgai through Hindi नीलगाय nīlgāy lit., blue cow ultimately from Sanskrit निल‍गौह् nīla-gauh, an ox-like animal. Nirvana from Sanskrit निर्वाण nirvana-s which means "extinction, blowing out". O Opal through French opalle from Latin opalus from Greek ὀπάλλιος opallios, probably ultimately from Sanskrit औपल upalah. Orange through Old French orenge, Middle Latin orenge and Italian arancia from Arabic نارنج naranj, via Persian نارنگ narang and Sanskrit नारङ्ग naranga-s meaning "an orange tree". R via Hindi ultimately from Sanskrit राग rāgah, melodic modes used in Indian classical music. Raita ultimately from Sanskrit रजिकतिक्तक rājikātiktakaḥ via Hindi रायता rāytā, a south Asian condiment and side dish made of yogurt and vegetables.

Raj through Hindi राज and Pali/Prakrit रज्ज rajja ultimately from Sanskrit राज्य rājya, which means "a king" or "kingdom." Raj means kingdom or domain of a ruler. Rajah through Hindi राज from Sanskrit राजन् rājān, which means "a king". Ramtil through Hindi ultimately from Sanskrit रमतिलह् rāmatilah, which means "a dark sesame". Rani through Hindi रानी ultimately from Sanskrit राजनि rājnī, consort of a rajah. Rice via Old French ris and Italian riso from Latin oriza, which is from Greek ὄρυζα oryza, through an Indo-Iranian tongue finally from Sanskrit रीहि vrihi-s "rice".

Rook From Persian رخ rokh; ultimately from रत rath "chariot." (This is the chess piece, not the bird.) Rupee through Hindi रुपया rupiyā ultimately from Sanskrit रूप्यकम् rūpyakam, an Indian silver coin. Rye via Romani from Sanskrit राजा rājā, rye is used to define a gypsy person. S via Latin Saccharon and Greek σάκχαρον from Pali सक्खर sakkharā, ultimately from Sanskrit शर्करा sarkarā. Sadhu ultimately from Sanskrit साधु sādhu meaning "good man." Samadhi from Sanskrit समाधि samadhi, which means "putting together". Sambal through Afrikaans, Malay, and Tamil சம்பல் campāl ultimately from Sanskrit सम्बार sambhārei. Sambar through Hindi ultimately from Sanskrit संभारह् śambarah, a kind of Asian deer.

Samsara from Sanskrit संसार saṃ-sāra, which means "passing through". Sandal via Middle English sandell, Old French sandale, Medieval Latin sandalum, Medieval Greek σανδάλιον sandalion (diminutive of σάνδαλον sandalon) and Arabic and Persian صندل; perhaps ultimately from Sanskrit चन्दनम् candanam meaning "wood for burning incense;" this is the word sandalwood, not related to sandals which is a type of footwear. Sandhi ultimately from Sanskrit संधि samdhih, a wide variety of phonological processes. Sangha from Sanskrit संघ saṅgha, a community of Buddhist monks and nuns. Sanskrit from Sanskrit संस्कृतम् samskrtam "put together, well-formed". Sapphire via Old French saphir, Latin sapphirus and Greek σάπφειρος sappheiros from a Semitic tongue (c.f.

Hebrew: ספיר sapir); possible ultimate origin in Sanskrit शनिप्रिय sanipriya which literally means "Sacred to Saturn (Shani)". Sari through Hindi साड़ी sari and Prakrit सदि sadi, finally from Sanskrit षाटी sati "garment". Satyagraha from Sanskrit सत्याग्रह satyagraha, which means "insisting on truth". Sattva from Sanskrit सत्त्व sattvah, which means "truth". Shaman through Russian шама́н from Tungus shaman, perhaps from Chinese 萨满 sha men, via Prakrit समन finally from Sanskrit श्रमण sramana-s "a Buddhist monk". Shampoo via Anglo-Indian shampoo and Hindi चाँपो champo probably from Sanskrit चाँपना capayati, which means "kneads". Shawl from Persian شال shal, finally from Sanskrit सत्ल् satI, which means "a strip of cloth".

Siddha from Sanskrit सिद्ध siddhah, which means "achieved, accomplished". Sikh through Hindi सिख sikh "a disciple", ultimately from Sanskrit शिक्शते siksati which means "studies". Singh via Hindi सिंह Singh finally from Sanskrit सिंह simhah which means "a lion". Singapore via Malay Singapura ultimately from Sanskrit सिंहपुरं Simhapuram, literally "the lion city". Sinhala from Sanskrit सिंहल Simhala which means "Sri Lanka". Sinhalese from Sanskrit सिंहल simhala which means "of lions". Sri Lanka from Sanskrit: री लंका which means "venerable island." Stupa from Sanskrit स्तूप stūpah which means "crown of the head".

Sugar through Old French sucre, Italian zucchero, Middle Latin succarum, Arabic: سكر sukkar and Persian: شکر shakar ultimately from Sanskrit शर्करा sharkara which means "ground or candied sugar" (originally "grit" or "gravel"). Sulfur from Middle English sulfur, Old French soufre, and Latin sulfur and Arabic صفرا sufra meaning "yellow," perhaps ultimately from Sanskrit गन्धक sulvari.[145] Sunn via Hindi: सुन्न ultimately from Sanskrit: सन sāna, a kind of Asian plant. Sutra from Sanskrit सूत्र sutram which means "a rule". Suttee through Hindi finally from Sanskrit सती sati, which means "an honorable woman". Swami through Hindi स्वामी swami ultimately from Sanskrit स्वामी svami, which means "a master". Swastika via Bengali: টাকা from Sanskrit तन्कह् tankah.

Talipot through Hindi and Malay talipat from Sanskrit तलपत्त्रं tālapattram, a kind of tree. Tendu via French "stretched" and Hindi ultimately from Sanskrit तालपत्त्रम् tainduka. Tantra from Sanskrit तन्त्र tantram, which means "weave". Teapoy via Hindi तिपाई tipāi and Urdu تپائي tipāʼī,which originated as a Sanskrit compound: त्रि (trï¿½, “three”) and पाद (pā́da, “foot”). Thug through Marathi ठग and Hindi ठग thag probably ultimately from Sanskrit स्थग sthaga, which means "a scoundrel". Til from Sanskrit तिल tilah, a kind of plant. Toddy through Hindi तरी tari ultimately from Sanskrit तल tala-s, a Dravidian origin is also probable. Tola via Hindi: तोला ultimately from Sanskrit तुला tulā, a traditional Indian unit of mass.

Toon through Hindi तुन tūn ultimately from Sanskrit तुन्नह् tunnah, a kind of tree. Tope through Hindi टॉप ṭop probably from Prakrit थुपो thūpo, finally from Sanskrit स्तूप stūpah. Tussah Yoga Sanskrit Glossary: 200 Key Terms Excerpted with permission from the author: traditionalyogastudies.com . Copyright 1999 by Georg Feuerstein Abhyasa: practice; cf. vairagya Acarya (sometimes spelled Acharya in English): a preceptor, instructor; cf. guru Advaita (“nonduality”): the truth and teaching that there is only One Reality (Atman, Brahman), especially as found in the Upanishads; see also Vedanta Ahamkara (“I-maker”): the individuation principle, or ego, which must be transcended; cf.

asmita; see also buddhi, manas Ahimsa (“nonharming”): the single most important moral discipline (yama) Akasha (“ether/space”): the first of the five material elements of which the physical universe is composed; also used to designate “inner” space, that is, the space of consciousness (called cid-akasha) Amrita (“immortal/immortality”): a designation of the deathless Spirit (atman, purusha); also the nectar of immortality that oozes from the psychoenergetic center at the crown of the head (see sahasrara-cakra) when it is activated and transforms the body into a “divine body” (divya-deha) Ananda (“bliss”): the condition of utter joy, which is an essential quality of the ultimate Reality (tattva) Anga (“limb”): a fundamental category of the yogic path, such as asana, dharana, dhyana, niyama, pranayama , pratyahara , samadhi , yama; also the body (deha, sharira) Arjuna (“White”): one of the five Pandava princes who

 fought in the great war depicted in the Mahabharata, disciple of the God-man Krishna whose teachings can be found in the Bhagavad Gita Asana (“seat”): a physical posture (see also anga, mudra); the third limb (anga) of Patanjali’s eightfold path (astha-anga-yoga); originally this meant only meditation posture, but subsequently, in hatha yoga, this aspect of the yogic path was greatly developed Ashrama (“that where effort is made”): a hermitage; also a stage of life, such as brahmacharya, householder, forest dweller, and complete renouncer (samnyasin) Ashta-anga-yoga, ashtanga-yoga (“eight-limbed union”): the eightfold yoga of Patanjali, consisting of moral discipline (yama), self-restraint (niyama), posture (asana), breath control (pranayama), sensory inhibition (pratyahara), concentration (dharana), meditation (dhyana), and ecstasy (samadhi), leading to liberation (kaivalya) Asmita (“I-am-ness”): a concept of Patanjali’s eight-limbed yoga,

 roughly synonymous with ahamkara Atman (“self”): the transcendental Self, or Spirit, which is eternal and superconscious; our true nature or identity; sometimes a distinction is made between the atman as the individual self and the parama-atman as the transcendental Self; see also purusha; cf.

brahman Avadhuta (“he who has shed [everything]“): a radical type of renouncer (samnyasin) who often engages in unconventional behavior Avidya (“ignorance”): the root cause of suffering (duhkha); also called ajnana; cf.

vidya Ayurveda , Ayur-veda (“life science”): one of India’s traditional systems of medicine, the other being South India’s Siddha medicine Bandha (“bond/bondage”): the fact that human beings are typically bound by ignorance (avidya), which causes them to lead a life governed by karmic habit rather than inner freedom generated through wisdom (vidya, jnana) Bhagavad Gita (“Lord’s Song”): the oldest full-fledged yoga book found embedded in the Mahabharata and containing the teachings on karma yoga (the path of self-transcending action), samkhya yoga (the path of discerning the principles of existence correctly), and bhakti yoga (the path of devotion), as given by the God-man Krishna to Prince Arjuna on the battlefield 3,500 years or more ago Bhagavata-Purana (“Ancient [Tradition] of the Bhagavatas”): a voluminous tenth-century scripture held sacred by the devotees of the Divine in the form of Vishnu, especially in his incarnate form as Krishna; also called Shrimad-Bhagavata Bhakta (“devotee”): a disciple practicing bh

akti yoga Bhakti (“devotion/love”): the love of the bhakta toward the Divine or the guru as a manifestation of the Divine; also the love of the Divine toward the devotee Bhakti-Sutra (“Aphorisms on Devotion”): an aphoristic work on devotional yoga authored by Sage Narada; another text by the same title is ascribed to Sage Shandilya Bhakti Yoga (“Yoga of devotion”): a major branch of the yoga tradition, utilizing the feeling capacity to connect with the ultimate Reality conceived as a supreme Person (uttama-purusha) Bindu (“seed/point”): the creative potency of anything where all energies are focused; the dot (also called tilaka) worn on the forehead as indicative of the third eye Bodhi (“enlightenment”): the state of the awakened master, or buddha Bodhisattva (“enlightenment being”): in Mahayana Buddhist yoga, the individual who, motivated by compassion (karuna), is committed to achieving enlightenment for the sake of all other beings Brahma (“he who has grown expansive”): the Creator of the universe, the first principle (tattva) to emerge out of the ultimate

 Reality (brahman) Brahmacharya (from brahma and acarya “brahmic conduct”): the discipline of chastity, which produces ojas Brahman (“that which has grown expansive”): the ultimate Reality (cf.

atman, purusha) Brahmana: a brahmin, a member of the highest social class of traditional Indian society; also an early type of ritual text explicating the rituals and mythology of the four Vedas; cf. Aranyaka, Upanishad, Veda Buddha (“awakened”): a designation of the person who has attained enlightenment (bodhi) and therefore inner freedom; honorific title of Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, who lived in the sixth century B.C.E. Buddhi (“she who is conscious, awake”): the higher mind, which is the seat of wisdom (vidya, jnana); cf.

manas Cakra or Chakra (“wheel”): literally, the wheel of a wagon; metaphorically, one of the psycho-energetic centers of the subtle body (sukshma-sharira); in Buddhist yoga, five such centers are known, while in Hindu yoga often seven or more such centers are mentioned: mula-adhara-cakra (muladhara-cakra) at the base of the spine, svadhishthana-cakra at the genitals, manipura-cakra at the navel, anahata-cakra at the heart, vishuddha-cakra or vishuddhi-cakra at the throat, ajna-cakra in the middle of the head, and sahasrara-cakra at the top of the head Cin-mudra (“consciousness seal”): a common hand gesture (mudra) in meditation (dhyana), which is formed by bringing the tips of the index finger and the thumb together, while the remaining fingers are kept straight Cit (“consciousness”): the superconscious ultimate Reality (see atman, brahman) Citta (“that which is conscious”): ordinary consciousness, the mind, as opposed to cit Darshana (“seeing”): vision in the literal

 and metaphorical sense; a system of philosophy, such as the yoga-darshana of Patanjali; cf.

drishti Deva (“he who is shining”): a male deity, such as Shiva, Vishnu, or Krishna, either in the sense of the ultimate Reality or a high angelic being Devi (“she who is shining”): a female deity such as Parvati, Lakshmi, or Radha, either in the sense of the ultimate Reality (in its feminine pole) or a high angelic being Dharana (“holding”): concentration, the sixth limb (anga) of Patanjali’s eight-limbed yoga Dharma (“bearer”): a term of numerous meanings; often used in the sense of “law,” “lawfulness,” “virtue,” “righteousness,” “norm” Dhyana (“ideating”): meditation, the seventh limb (anga) of Patanjali’s eight-limbed yoga Diksha (“initiation”): the act and condition of induction into the hidden aspects of yoga or a particular lineage of teachers; all traditional yoga is initiatory Drishti (“view/sight”): yogic gazing, such as at the tip of the nose or the spot between the eyebrows; cf.

darshana Duhkha (“bad axle space”): suffering, a fundamental fact of life, caused by ignorance (avidya) of our true nature (i.e., the Self or atman) Gayatri-mantra: a famous Vedic mantra recited particularly at sunrise: tat savitur varenyam bhargo devasya dhimahi dhiyo yo nah pracodayat Gheranda-Samhita (“[Sage] Gheranda’s Compendium”): one of three major manuals of classical hatha yoga, composed in the seventeenth century; cf.

Hatha-Yoga-Pradipika, Shiva-Samhita Goraksha (“Cow Protector”): traditionally said to be the founding adept of hatha yoga, a disciple of Matsyendra Granthi (“knot”): any one of three common blockages in the central pathway (sushumna-nadi) preventing the full ascent of the serpent power (kundalini-shakti); the three knots are known as brahma-granthi (at the lowest psychoenergetic center of the subtle body), the vishnu-granthi (at the heart), and the rudra-granthi (at the eyebrow center) Guna (“quality”): a term that has numerous meanings, including “virtue”; often refers to any of the three primary “qualities” or constituents of nature (prakriti): tamas (the principle of inertia), rajas (the dynamic principle), and sattva (the principle of lucidity) Guru (“he who is heavy, weighty”): a spiritual teacher; cf.

acarya Guru-bhakti (“teacher devotion”): a disciple’s self-transcending devotion to the guru; see also bhakti Guru-Gita (“Guru’s Song”): a text in praise of the guru, often chanted in ashramas Guru-Yoga (“Yoga [relating to] the teacher”): a yogic approach that makes the guru the fulcrum of a disciple’s practice; all traditional forms of yoga contain a strong element of guru-yoga Hamsa (“swan/gander”): apart from the literal meaning, this term also refers to the breath (prana) as it moves within the body; the individuated consciousness (jiva) propelled by the breath; see jiva-atman; see also parama-hamsa Hatha Yoga (“Forceful Yoga”): a major branch of yoga, developed by Goraksha and other adepts c.

1000 C.E., and emphasizing the physical aspects of the transformative path, notably postures (asana) and cleansing techniques (shodhana), but also breath control (pranayama) Hatha-Yoga-Pradipika (“Light on Hatha Yoga”): one of three classical manuals on hatha yoga, authored by Svatmarama Yogendra in the fourteenth century Hiranyagarbha (“Golden Germ”): the mythical founder of yoga; the first cosmological principle (tattva) to emerge out of the infinite Reality; also called Brahma Ida-nadi (“pale conduit”): the prana current or arc ascending on the left side of the central channel (sushumna nadi) associated with the parasympathetic nervous system and having a cooling or calming effect on the mind when activated; cf.

pingala-nadi Ishvara (“ruler”): the Lord; referring either to the Creator (see Brahma) or, in Patanjali’s yoga-darshana, to a special transcendental Self (purusha) Ishvara-pranidhana (“dedication to the Lord”): in Patanjali’s eight-limbed yoga one of the practices of self-restraint (niyama); see also bhakti yoga Jaina (sometimes Jain): pertaining to the jinas (“conquerors”), the liberated adepts of Jainism; a member of Jainism, the spiritual tradition founded by Vardhamana Mahavira, a contemporary of Gautama the Buddha Japa (“muttering”): the recitation of mantras Jiva-atman, jivatman (“individual self”): the individuated consciousness, as opposed to the ultimate Self (parama-atman) Jivan-mukta (“he who is liberated while alive”): an adept who, while still embodied, has attained liberation (moksha) Jivan-mukti (“living liberation”): the state of liberation while being embodied; cf.

videha-mukti Jnana (“knowledge/wisdom”): both worldly knowledge or world-transcending wisdom, depending on the context; see also prajna; cf.

avidya Jnana-Yoga (“Yoga of wisdom”): the path to liberation based on wisdom, or the direct intuition of the transcendental Self (atman) through the steady application of discernment between the Real and the unreal and renunciation of what has been identified as unreal (or inconsequential to the achievement of liberation) Kaivalya (“isolation”): the state of absolute freedom from conditioned existence, as explained in ashta-anga-yoga; in the nondualistic (advaita) traditions of India, this is usually called moksha or mukti (meaning “release” from the fetters of ignorance, or avidya) Kali: a Goddess embodying the fierce (dissolving) aspect of the Divine Kali-yuga: the dark age of spiritual and moral decline, said to be current now; kali does not refer to the Goddess Kali but to the losing throw of a die Kama (“desire”): the appetite for sensual pleasure blocking the path to true bliss (ananda); the only desire conducive to freedom is the impulse toward liberation, called mumukshutva Kapila (“He who is red”): a great sage, the quasi-mythical founder of the Samkhya tradition

, who is said to have composed the Samkhya-Sutra (which, however, appears to be of a much later date) Karman, karma (“action”): activity of any kind, including ritual acts; said to be binding only so long as engaged in a self-centered way; the “karmic” consequence of one’s actions; destiny Karma Yoga (“Yoga of action”): the liberating path of self-transcending action Karuna (“compassion”): universal sympathy; in Buddhist yoga the complement of wisdom (prajna) Khecari-mudra (“space-walking seal”): the Tantric practice of curling the tongue back against the upper palate in order to seal the life energy (prana); see also mudra Kosha (“casing”): any one of five “envelopes” surrounding the transcendental Self (atman) and thus blocking its light: anna-maya-kosha (“envelope made of food,” the physical body), prana-maya-kosha (“envelope made of life force”), mano-maya-kosha (“envelope made of mind”), vijnana-maya-kosha (“envelope made of consciousness”), and ananda-maya-kosha

 (“envelope made of bliss”); some older traditions regard the last kosha as identical with the Self (atman) Krishna (“Puller”): an incarnation of God Vishnu, the God-man whose teachings can be found in the Bhagavad Gita and the Bhagavata-Purana/p> Kumbhaka (“potlike”): breath retention; cf.

puraka, recaka Kundalini-shakti (“coiled power”): according to Tantra and hatha yoga, the serpent power or spiritual energy, which exists in potential form at the lowest psycho-energetic center of the body (i.e., the mula-adhara-cakra) and which must be awakened and guided to the center at the crown (i.e., the sahasrara-cakra) for full enlightenment to occur Kundalini-Yoga: the yogic path focusing on the kundalini process as a means of liberation Laya Yoga (“Yoga of dissolution”): an advanced form or process of Tantric yoga by which the energies associated with the various psycho-energetic centers (cakra) of the subtle body are gradually dissolved through the ascent of the serpent power (kundalini-shakti) Linga (“mark”): the phallus as a principle of creativity; a symbol of God Shiva; cf.

yoni Mahabharata (“Great Bharata”): one of India’s two great ancient epics telling of the great war between the Pandavas and the Kauravas and serving as a repository for many spiritual and moral teachings Mahatma (from maha-atman, “great self”): an honorific title (meaning something like “a great soul”) bestowed on particularly meritorious individuals, such as Gandhi Maithuna (“twinning”): the Tantric sexual ritual in which the participants view each other as Shiva and Shakti respectively Manas (“mind”): the lower mind, which is bound to the senses and yields information (vijnana) rather than wisdom (jnana, vidya); cf.

buddhi Mandala (“circle”): a circular design symbolizing the cosmos and specific to a deity Mantra (from the verbal root man “to think”): a sacred sound or phrase, such as om, hum, or om namah shivaya, that has a transformative effect on the mind of the individual reciting it; to be ultimately effective, a mantra needs to be given in an initiatory context (diksha) Mantra-Yoga: the yogic path utilizing mantras as the primary means of liberation Marman (“lethal [spot]“): in Ayurveda and yoga, a vital spot on the physical body where energy is concentrated or blocked; cf.

granthi Matsyendra (“Lord of Fish”): an early Tantric master who founded the Yogini-Kaula school and is remembered as a teacher of Goraksha Maya (“she who measures”): the deluding or illusive power of the world; illusion by which the world is seen as separate from the ultimate singular Reality (atman) Moksha (“release”): the condition of freedom from ignorance (avidya) and the binding effect of karma; also called mukti, kaivalya Mudra (“seal”): a hand gesture (such as cin-mudra) or whole-body gesture (such as viparita-karani-mudra); also a designation of the feminine partner in the Tantric sexual ritual Muni (“he who is silent”): a sage Nada (“sound”): the inner sound, as it can be heard through the practice of nada yoga or kundalini yoga Nada-Yoga (“Yoga of the [inner] sound”): the yoga or process of producing and intently listening to the inner sound as a means of concentration and ecstatic self-transcendence Nadi (“conduit”): one of 72,000 or more subtle channels along or

 through which the life force (prana) circulates, of which the three most important ones are the ida-nadi, pingala-nadi, and sushumna-nadi Nadi-shodhana (“channel cleansing”): the practice of purifying the conduits, especially by means of breath control (pranayama) Narada: a great sage associated with music, who taught bhakti yoga and is attributed with the authorship of one of two Bhakti-Sutras Natha (“lord”): appellation of many North Indian masters of yoga, in particular adepts of the Kanphata (“Split-ear”) school allegedly founded by Goraksha Neti-neti (“not thus, not thus”): an Upanishadic expression meant to convey that the ultimate Reality is neither this nor that, that is, is beyond all description Nirodha (“restriction”): in Patanjali’s eight-limbed yoga, the very basis of the process of concentration, meditation, and ecstasy; in the first instance, the restriction of the “whirls of the mind” (citta-vritti) Niyama (“[self-]restraint”): the second limb of Patanjali’s eightfold

 path, which consists of purity (saucha), contentment (samtosha), austerity (tapas), study (svadhyaya), and dedication to the Lord (ishvara-pranidhana) Nyasa (“placing”): the Tantric practice of infusing various body parts with life force (prana) by touching or thinking of the respective physical area Ojas (“vitality”): the subtle energy produced through practice, especially the discipline of chastity (brahmacharya) Om: the original mantra symbolizing the ultimate Reality, which is prefixed to many mantric utterances Parama-atman or paramatman (“supreme self”): the transcendental Self, which is singular, as opposed to the individuated self (jiva-atman) that exists in countless numbers in the form of living beings Parama-hamsa, paramahansa (“supreme swan”): an honorific title given to great adepts, such as Ramakrishna and Yogananda See also Why Paramahansa Yogananda Was a Man Before His Time Patanjali: compiler of the Yoga Sutra, who lived c.

150 C.E. Pingala-nadi (“reddish conduit”): the prana current or arc ascending on the right side of the central channel (sushumna-nadi) and associated with the sympathetic nervous system and having an energizing effect on the mind when activated; cf.

ida-nadi Prajna (“wisdom”): the opposite of spiritual ignorance (ajnana, avidya); one of two means of liberation in Buddhist yoga, the other being skillful means (upaya), i.e., compassion (karuna) Prakriti (“creatrix”): nature, which is multilevel and, according to Patanjali’s yoga-darshana, consists of an eternal dimension (called pradhana or “foundation”), levels of subtle existence (called sukshma-parvan), and the physical or coarse realm (called sthula-parvan); all of nature is deemed unconscious (acit), and therefore it is viewed as being in opposition to the transcendental Self or Spirit (purusha) Prakriti-laya (“merging into Nature”): a high-level state of existence that falls short of actual liberation (kaivalya); the being who has attained that state Prana (“life/breath”): life in general; the life force sustaining the body; the breath as an external manifestation of the subtle life force Pranayama (from prana and ayama, “life/breath extension”): breath control, the fourth limb (anga) of Patanjali’s eig

thfold path, consisting of conscious inhalation (puraka) retention (kumbhaka) and exhalation (recaka); at an advanced state, breath retention occurs spontaneously for longer periods of time Prasada (“grace/clarity”): divine grace; mental clarity Pratyahara (“withdrawal”): sensory inhibition, the fifth limb (anga) of Patanjali’s eightfold path Puja (“worship”): ritual worship, which is an important aspect of many forms of yoga, notably bhakti yoga and Tantra Puraka (“filling in”): inhalation, an aspect of breath control (pranayama) Purana (“Ancient [History]“): a type of popular encyclopedia dealing with royal genealogy, cosmology, philosophy, and ritual; there are eighteen major and many more minor works of this nature Purusha (“male”): the transcendental Self (atman) or Spirit, a designation that is mostly used in Samkhya and Patanjali’s yoga-darshana Radha: the God-man Krishna’s spouse; a name of the divine Mother Raja-Yoga (“Royal Yoga”): a late medieval designation of Patanjali’s eightfold yoga-darshana, also known

 as classical yoga Rama: an incarnation of God Vishnu preceding Krishna; the principal hero of the Ramayana Ramayana (“Rama’s life”): one of India’s two great national epics telling the story of Rama; cf.

Mahabharata Recaka (“expulsion”): exhalation, an aspect of breath control (pranayama) Rig-Veda; see Veda Rishi (“seer”): a category of Vedic sage; an honorific title of certain venerated masters, such as the South Indian sage Ramana, who is known as maharshi (from maha meaning “great” and rishi); cf.

muni Sadhana (“accomplishing”): spiritual discipline leading to siddhi (“perfection” or “accomplishment”); the term is specifically used in Tantra Sahaja (“together born”): a medieval term denoting the fact that the transcendental Reality and the empirical reality are not truly separate but coexist, or with the latter being an aspect or misperception of the former; often rendered as “spontaneous” or “spontaneity”; the sahaja state is the natural condition, that is, enlightenment or realization Samadhi (“putting together”): the ecstatic or unitive state in which the meditator becomes one with the object of meditation, the eighth and final limb (anga) of Patanjali’s eightfold path; there are many types of samadhi, the most significant distinction being between samprajnata (conscious) and asamprajnata (supraconscious) ecstasy; only the latter leads to the dissolution of the karmic factors deep within the mind; beyond both types of ecstasy is enlightenment, which is also sometimes called sahaja-samadhi or the condition of “natural” or “spontaneous” ecstasy, where there is perfect continuity of super

conscious throughout waking, dreaming, and sleeping Samatva or samata (“evenness”): the mental condition of harmony, balance Samkhya (“Number”): one of the main traditions of Hinduism, which is concerned with the classification of the principles (tattva) of existence and their proper discernment in order to distinguish between Spirit (purusha) and the various aspects of Nature (prakriti); this influential system grew out of the ancient (pre-Buddhist) Samkhya-Yoga tradition and was codified in the Samkhya-Karika of Ishvara Krishna (c.

350 C.E.) Samnyasa (“casting off”): the state of renunciation, which is the fourth and final stage of life (see ashrama) and consisting primarily in an inner turning away from what is understood to be finite and secondarily in an external letting go of finite things; cf.

vairagya Samnyasin (“he who has cast off”): a renouncer Samprajnata-samadhi; see samadhi Samsara (“confluence”): the finite world of change, as opposed to the ultimate Reality (brahman or nirvana) Samskara (“activator”): the subconscious impression left behind by each act of volition, which, in turn, leads to renewed psychomental activity; the countless samskaras hidden in the depth of the mind are ultimately eliminated only in asamprajnata-samadhi (see samadhi) Samyama (“constraint”): the combined practice of concentration (dharana), meditation (dhyana), and ecstasy (samadhi) in regard to the same object Sat (“being/reality/truth”): the ultimate Reality (atman or brahman) Sat-sanga (“true company/company of Truth”): the practice of frequenting the good company of saints, sages, Self-realized adepts, and their disciples, in whose company the ultimate Reality can be felt more palpably Satya (“truth/truthfulness”): truth, a designation of the ultimate Reality; also the practice of truthfulness,

 which is an aspect of moral discipline (yama) Shakti (“power”): the ultimate Reality in its feminine aspect, or the power pole of the Divine; see also kundalini-shakti Shakti-pata (“descent of power”): the process of initiation, or spiritual baptism, by means of the benign transmission of an advanced or even enlightened adept (siddha), which awakens the shakti within a disciple, thereby initiating or enhancing the process of liberation Shankara (“He who is benevolent”): the eighth-century adept who was the greatest proponent of nondualism (Advaita Vedanta) and whose philosophical school was probably responsible for the decline of Buddhism in India Shishya (“student/disciple”): the initiated disciple of a guru Shiva (“He who is benign”): the Divine; a deity that has served yogins as an archetypal model throughout the ages Shiva-Sutra (“Shiva’s Aphorisms”): like the Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, a classical work on yoga, as taught in the Shaivism of Kashmir; authored by Vasugupta (ninth century C.E.) Shodhana (“cleansing/purification”): a fundamental aspect

 of all yogic paths; a category of purification practices in hatha yoga Shraddha (“faith”): an essential disposition on the yogic path, which must be distinguished from mere belief Shuddhi (“purification/purity”): the state of purity; a synonym of shodhana Siddha (“accomplished”): an adept, often of Tantra; if fully Self-realized, the designation maha-siddha or “great adept” is often used Siddha-Yoga (“Yoga of the adepts”): a designation applied especially to the yoga of Kashmiri Shaivism, as taught by Swami Muktananda (twentieth century) Siddhi (“accomplishment/perfection”): spiritual perfection, the attainment of flawless identity with the ultimate Reality (atman or brahman); paranormal ability, of which the yoga tradition knows many kinds Spanda (“vibration”): a key concept of Kashmir’s Shaivism according to which the ultimate Reality itself “quivers,” that is, is inherently creative rather than static (as conceived in Advaita Vedanta) Sushumna-nadi (“very gracious channel”): the central prana current or arc in or along which the serpent power (kundalini-shakti)

 must ascend toward the psychoenergetic center (cakra) at the crown of the head in order to attain liberation (moksha) Sutra (“thread”): an aphoristic statement; a work consisting of aphoristic statements, such as Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra or Vasugupta’s Shiva-Sutra Svadhyaya (“one’s own going into”): study, an important aspect of the yogic path, listed among the practices of self-restraint (niyama) in >Patanjali’s eightfold yoga; the recitation of mantras (see also japa) Tantra (“Loom”): a type of Sanskrit work containing Tantric teachings; the tradition of Tantrism, which focuses on the shakti side of spiritual life and which originated in the early post-Christian era and achieved its classical features around 1000 C.E.; Tantrism has a “right-hand” (dakshina) or conservative and a “left-hand” (vama) or unconventional/antinomian branch, with the latter utilizing, among other things, sexual rituals Tapas (“glow/heat”): austerity, penance, which is an ingredient of all yogic approaches

, since they all involve self-transcendence Tattva (“thatness”): a fact or reality; a particular category of existence such as the ahamkara, buddhi, manas; the ultimate Reality (see also atman, brahman) Turiya (“fourth”), also called cathurtha: the transcendental Reality, which exceeds the three conventional states of consciousness, namely waking, sleeping, and dreaming Upanishad (“sitting near”): a type of scripture representing the concluding portion of the revealed literature of Hinduism, hence the designation Vedanta for the teachings of these sacred works; cf.

Aranyaka, Brahmana, Veda Upaya (“means”): in Buddhist yoga, the practice of compassion (karuna); cf. prajna Vairagya (“dispassion”): the attitude of inner ren The Buddha and Critical Thinking The Buddha and Critical Thinking The word Buddha comes from a Sanskrit/Pali word that means one who has awakened or been enlightened. In the context of Indian religions it functions as a title for one who has been enlightened. The name of the founder of the Buddhist religion was therefore not Buddha though one could make this mistake easily since his given name is rarely mentioned. The Buddha's given name was Siddhartha Gutama. He did not refer to himself by the title Buddha and he may not have been called this by others during his lifetime. The accounts of meetings of his followers after his death do not refer to Gutama as the Buddha but as bhagavan (lord), however once the title was adopted it became the primary designation for Gutama and assumed a central role within Buddhist thought and practice. Siddhartha Gutama's date of birth is disputed, but all will agree it was between the 5th and the 7th centuries B.C.E.

The purpose of this offering is simply to remind the reader that 2500 years ago when people were dying of diseases which could readily be blamed on one deity or the other and human dependence on the vagaries of nature was nearly total, there were skeptics. Siddhartha Gutama was certainly one of them when he taught "Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it." The lesson here is that whether today or 2500 years ago, within any collection of people, one finds those susceptible to suggestion at one end of the spectrum and those who question everything at the other.

For those of us schooled in the Age of Enlightenment and attribute the impetus for all of our scientific advancement to discoveries and social changes in the 18th century, it is instructive and humbling to remember that there were teachers of critical thinking like Siddhartha Gutama who preceded the European intellectuals by more than 2000 years. Credits Robinson and Johnson, The Buddhist Religion: A Historical Introduction. New York, NY: Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1997, fourth edition. Joseph Kitagawa and Mark Cummings, eds., The Encyclopedia of Religion: Buddhism and Asian History. Mircea Eliade, editor in chief. New York, NY: Macmillian, 1989. Patricia Herbert, The Life of the Buddha. San Francisco, CA: Pomegranate ArtBooks, 1993. E.H. Johnston, Asvaghosa's Buddhacarita or Acts of the Buddha. Complete Sanskrit Text with English Translation. Delhi, India: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Limited, 1995 reprint.

Question: Which Sanskrit word means ‘awakened one’?
Answer: Buddha